Consumer Approach to Nutrition - US - January 2020

OVERVIEW
What you need to know
Definition
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 
Top takeaways
Many consumers avoid defining the way they eat
Consumers want more nutrition info
Processed viewed as less nutritious
Key trends
Taste reigns supreme
Figure 1: Important food features, November 2019
Many don’t want to be pigeonholed
Figure 2: Don’t define how I eat, by age, November 2019
Plant-based, organic maintain health halo with Millennials
Figure 3: Plant-based, organic foods are more nutritious, by age, November 2019
Shifting opinions on nutrients
Figure 4: Nutrition label elements viewed, November 2019
Processed foods viewed as less nutritious
Figure 5: Processed foods have less nutritional value than fresh foods – any agree, by age, November 2019
Microbiome awareness mainstreaming
Figure 6: Eat foods that encourage healthy gut – any agree, by age, November 2019
What it means
THE MARKET – WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
Calories often viewed – but who’s counting?
Aging population will drive nutrition innovation
Income affects choices
Legislative tactics to fight obesity
MARKET PERSPECTIVE
Calories often viewed – but who’s counting?
Figure 7: Calorie counting behaviors, Spring 2019 Simmons NCHS 12-month Study
MARKET FACTORS 
Aging population will drive nutrition innovation
Figure 8: Population aged 18 or older, by age, 2014-24
Income affects choices
Figure 9: Any effort towards healthy eating, by household income, September 2019
Governments/regulators step in, but will consumers take note?
KEY PLAYERS – WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW 
Microbiome awareness is mainstreaming
Meal kits stay on the pulse of diet/lifestyle trends
Baby food trends reflect diverse grown-up preferences
Eyes peeled for sugar
Artificial ingredients are undesirable
Moving on to the un-diet
WHAT’S IN
Feeding the microbiome is mainstreaming
Figure 10: Percent of food and drink product launches with probiotic claims, 2015-19
Figure 11: Probiotic Product examples
Meal kits stay on the pulse of diet/lifestyle trends
Figure 12: Meal delivery services accommodating special diets
Figure 13: Meal delivery, plant-based
Baby food trends reflect diverse grown-up preferences
Figure 14: Baby food examples
WHAT’S OUT
People are on sugar watch
Figure 15: Nutrition label elements viewed, November 2019
Figure 16: Percent of food and drink product launches with no added sugar or low/reduced sugar claims, 2015-19
Artificial ingredients are undesirable
Figure 17: Prefer to eat foods without artificial ingredients, 2010-19
WHAT TO WATCH
Moving on to the un-diet
Figure 18: Opinions on healthiness, intuitive eating and intermittent fasting, September 2019
Celebrities bring intermittent fasting into the spotlight
THE CONSUMER – WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW 
Snacks sneaking in on produce
Don’t believe the hype
Taste reigns supreme
Personalization in demand
Majority of consumers scan nutrition panels before purchase
Eyes peeled for sugar content
Adventure eaters most driven by the details
TYPES OF FOOD EATEN
Consumers rely on convenience of packaged foods
Figure 19: Food types eaten, November 2019
Fresh produce consumption rises with income levels
Figure 20: Food types eaten – fresh produce, by household income, November 2019
DIET TYPES FOLLOWED: STATUS, REASONS, COMMITMENT
Don’t believe the hype
Figure 21: Diet types followed, November 2019
Reasons behind eating styles are broad
Figure 22: Reasons for following diet types, November 2019
Flexitarians most committed to long-term adherence
Figure 23: Commitment to diet types, November 2019
Older adults more likely to avoid defining diets
Figure 24: Don’t define how I eat, by age, November 2019
IMPORTANT FOOD FEATURES
Taste reigns supreme
Figure 25: Important food features, November 2019
Age influences shoppers’ priorities
Figure 26: Important food features, by age, November 2019
OPINIONS ON NUTRITION
Desire for personalized plans will continue to grow
Figure 27: Interest in new diets and DNA testing – any agree, by age, November 2019
Ancestral diets appeal to Hispanic, Black and Asian adults
Figure 28: Traditional eating is best diet – any agree, by Hispanic origin and race, November 2019
Nutrition information in high demand
Figure 29: Opinions on nutrition education and access to information – any agree, November 2019
Plant-based, organic maintain health halo with Millennials
Figure 30: Plant-based, organic foods are more nutritious – any agree, by age, November 2019
Younger men put least thought into what they eat
Figure 31: Don’t think about what I eat – any agree, by age and gender, November 2019
FREQUENCY OF READING NUTRITION LABELS 
Most consumers rely on labels
Figure 32: Nutrition label reading behaviors, November 2019
Parents more consistently read labels
Figure 33: Nutrition label reading behaviors, by parental status, November 2019
Small segment feels no need for labels
Figure 34: Reasons for not reading nutrition labels, November 2019
NUTRITION LABEL DETAILS 
Eyes peeled for the details
Figure 35: Nutrition label elements viewed, November 2019
Age influences label details reviewed
Figure 36: Nutrition label focal points: fat, sugar, sodium and cholesterol, by age, November 2019
Figure 37: Nutrition label focal points: protein, by age, November 2019
FOOD AND DRINK CONSUMER SEGMENTATIONS
Mintel Food and Drink Consumer Segmentation
Time Savers, Value Chasers follow traditional eating path
Figure 38: Diet types followed, by food and drink segment, November 2019
Adventure Eaters driven by the details
Figure 39: Would like more information on diet and nutrition, by food and drink segment, November 2019
APPENDIX – DATA SOURCES AND ABBREVIATIONS
Data sources
Consumer survey data
Abbreviations and terms
Abbreviations
APPENDIX – THE CONSUMER 
Reasons for diet type followed – TURF analysis
Figure 40: TURF Analysis – Diet types – reasons, November 2019
Figure 41: Table – TURF Analysis – Diet types – reasons – November 2019
Important food features – TURF analysis
Figure 42: TURF Analysis – Influences on meal choice, November 2019
Figure 43: Table – TURF Analysis – Influences on meal choice, November 2019
TURF Methodology
Mintel Food and Drink Segmentation
Figure 44: Nutrition label reading behaviors, by food and drink segment, November 2019
Figure 45: Important Food Factors, by food and drink segment, November 2019
Figure 46: Feelings of guilt when eating fatty foods, sweets, Spring 2019 Simmons NCHS 12-month Study